Dutch Cocoa Sugar Cookies

Step 1: Prepare the Wet Ingredients

Add 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter (at room temperature) and 2 cups granulated sugar to a stand mixer bowl. Start mixing on low speed, then gradually increase to high speed. Mix until the butter and sugar are light, fluffy, and creamy, ensuring the sugar crystals begin to dissolve. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula to incorporate any unmixed butter or sugar. Repeat scraping and mixing until thoroughly combined.

Step 2: Add Eggs and Vanilla

In a separate small bowl or measuring cup, crack 2 large eggs and add 2 tsp. vanilla extract. Turn the mixer back on to a low speed. Gradually add the egg and vanilla mixture to the butter and sugar, one egg at a time, allowing each egg to fully incorporate before adding the next. Mix until the mixture is light and creamy. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl again to ensure all ingredients are well blended.

Step 3: Prepare the Dry Ingredients

In a separate large bowl, combine 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp. baking soda, 1 tsp. kosher salt, and 3/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder. Whisk these dry ingredients together thoroughly to ensure they are well combined and any lumps are broken up.

Step 4: Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients

Add the whisked dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in the stand mixer bowl. Do not turn the mixer on full speed immediately. Instead, pulse the mixer switch on and off at a low speed until the dry ingredients are mostly incorporated into the wet mixture. This prevents a cloud of flour and cocoa powder from forming.

Step 5: Finish Mixing the Dough

Once the dry ingredients are partially incorporated, turn the mixer to a low speed and mix until just combined. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl one last time to ensure there are no pockets of unmixed flour, butter, or sugar. The dough should be a uniform, dark, rich chocolate brown color with no dry flour visible.

Step 6: Scoop and Roll the Cookies

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a 1.5-tablespoon disher (ice cream scoop), scoop uniform portions of the cookie dough. Scrape the excess dough off the side of the bowl to create a perfectly rounded scoop. Drop each scooped dough ball into a bowl of granulated sugar (as needed for rolling).

Step 7: Coat and Arrange Cookies

Roll each dough ball in the granulated sugar until evenly coated. Place the sugar-coated dough balls onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them properly to prevent them from running into each other during baking. Aim for about 12 cookies per standard baking sheet (e.g., 3 cookies across and 4 down).

Step 8: Bake the Cookies

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake the cookies for approximately 10-12 minutes.

Step 9: Cool and Serve

Once baked, remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool completely on the baking sheet. The cookies should have a chewy center and crispy edges.

• Start mixer low, then go high for butter and sugar to whip and break sugar crystals.

• Scrape down mixer bowl sides and bottom frequently for even mixing.

• Crack eggs into a separate bowl first to avoid shells in the main mixture.

• Add eggs one at a time to ensure proper incorporation and prevent messiness.

• Pulse mixer when adding dry ingredients to avoid a cloud of flour and cocoa.

• Use an ice cream scoop (disher) for uniform cookie size and even baking.

• If freezing dough, scoop plain and dip in sugar just before baking.